For months, President Donald Trump of the United States has been pushing for new restrictions on mail-in voting, a method utilized by almost one-third of American voters during elections. However, just before the crucial midterms in less than seven weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court has intervened to block a Trump administration initiative that could have prevented millions from casting their votes via mail. Here’s what you should know.
The significance of mail-in voting in the U.S. cannot be understated, with tens of millions of Americans opting for mail-in ballots in both presidential and midterm elections. The prevalence of mail-in voting in the U.S. saw a gradual increase over the past decade, rising to 25% in 2018 and surging to 43% in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the 2024 presidential election, around 30% of the total 158 million votes were cast through mail-in ballots, as reported by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. These figures significantly surpass the mail-in voting rates seen in federal elections in Canada.
Despite a record 1.25 million mail-in votes in the 2025 general election in Canada, accounting for 6.3% of the total ballots cast, the U.S. still maintains a much higher reliance on mail-in voting.
President Trump has voiced strong opposition to the expansion of mail-in voting in the 2020 presidential election, alleging baseless claims of election fraud. However, research from the Brookings Institution indicates that instances of fraud in mail-in ballots are exceedingly rare, occurring in about four cases per 10 million ballots.
While millions of registered Republicans, including Trump, have historically used mail-in voting, recent studies by the MIT Election Data Lab and the Pew Research Center suggest that registered Democrats were more inclined to vote by mail in the 2020 and 2024 elections. The research also highlights that individuals aged 65 and above are the most frequent users of mail-in ballots.
President Trump’s attempt to restrict mail-in ballots involved giving the U.S. Postal Service control over voter eligibility for mail-in ballots, a departure from the traditional state-managed voting system. Despite facing legal challenges from states like California, the Supreme Court recently rejected the administration’s request to lift injunctions on the plan.
In response to the ruling, Trump criticized the court’s decision, labeling mail-in voting as a “disaster” and alleging increased potential for cheating. The ruling signifies a victory for mail-in voting leading up to the midterm elections, although concerns remain over Trump’s future actions regarding election results.
Moving forward, Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized the administration’s ongoing efforts to safeguard the integrity of elections, indicating that initiatives to ensure free and fair elections will persist beyond the upcoming midterms.